I suspect that way back in '82 Woodward was on the receiving end of private advice relating to Prince Andrew. I do think Woodward would have been betetr advised to leave Prince William's SAR duties out of his rant. Willetts' visit must have twerrified the Args.

I have to say that I agree with him, anyone with half a brain cell would have known that sending the Earl of Stathearn for a full 6 week deployment to the Falklands would raise the hackles of the Argies. It is/was a totally unnecessary exercise as the terrain down there is no different to what can be found around the coast of the UK, it makes a nonsense of Hammond's statement that "the Prince is on a humanitarian mission training focused on search and rescue".

Seems rather strange that we publish the whereabouts of where people are being stationed, they didn't do it when the other one was posted to Afghanistan, but thought it necessary to tell the world where they sent his brother.

Finks would obviously prefer Royals to be privileged and not sent on ordinary deployments while they are serving - send some ordinary Joe to the FI instead (I imagine the FI is not exactly the Seychelles). It is no business of the contemptible Args how we deploy our forces.

I think the difference, Trelawney, is that an SAR pilot in FI is not at risk of capture by terrorists. It must have been quite tricky to find something really useful that PW could do in the Services without his becoming a trophy target. BZ to him for trying to do an honest job (albeit in a strangely coloured uniform)

From Sandy: "He said: ‘The politics are hot air – well 99 per cent, anyway. There’s no accounting for what politicians do."

And I agree. Wills Down South, a brand new out of the box warship Down South, and a bit of press argy bargy to take the populations minds away from the economic crisis. And the last bit works for both sides too.
And if a numpty from shepherds Bush can see this then it must be blindingly obvious.

/aside

If a government were to run a country's budget within budget, would there be a requirement for loans to be taken out from banks? And seeing as banks make their money by loaning clients money then they would lose revenue. So the UK tax payer is subsidising the banking industry and that is before any bailout packages.

Funny how the rubbernecks never seem to venture South in the Austral Winter. If we are looking for bloody nuisances, look no further.

Admiral Sandy's comment "He’s not there as a military man, he is there as air sea rescue which is really not military at all. It’s civil" certainly can't be brightest he's ever made; even for a sundodger.